8 Feb 2019

Russia: We won’t move embassy to Jerusalem
The Russian government will not be moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Russia’s ambassador said Thursday night, despite signals from Moscow that Russia has shifted its stance on the Israeli capital.

Iran fails to launch second satellite – report
Iran has failed in its second attempt in recent weeks to launch a satellite into space, according to images released by two companies specializing in space imaging. On Thursday morning, several images released to US media by DigitalGlobe and Planet, which showed blackened scorch marks consistent with a launch or failed launch of a craft, were seen on a launch pad at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Iran’s Semnan province. Iranian state media and authorities have remained mum on the reports, suggesting that the launch was indeed a failure.

Iran unveils new ballistic missile
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday unveiled a new ballistic missile with a range of 1,000 kilometers, AFP reported, citing the Revolutionary Guards’ official news agency Sepah. The move was the latest show of military might by the country as it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution at a time of heightened tensions with the United States.

Slum By The Bay
San Francisco is one of the richest cities it the world. It’s given us music, technology and elegant architecture.
Now it gives us filthy homeless encampments. One urban planner told me, “I just returned from the Tenderloin (a section of San Francisco). It’s worse than slums of India, Haiti, Africa!” “There’s shit everywhere. It’s just a mess out here.”

U.S. to withdraw all troops from Syria by April – report
The Pentagon plans to remove all American forces from Syria by the end of April, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. In addition, the United States is planning to remove a significant portion of the military forces by mid-March. Critics of the pullout note the Trump Administration has yet to implement an orderly plan to protect Kurdish military groups, who are allies with US forces, from attacks by Turkish forces upon their departure.

Iran builds new secret missile site in Syria for Hezbollah
Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are establishing a missile factory on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Safita, Israel revealed… Israel’s strategy, according to the report, is to make the efforts public to thwart the construction and success of the factory, which is supposed to be where Iran will turn Hezbollah’s missiles into precision-guided munitions, capable of striking targets in the Jewish state with unprecedented accuracy.

Iran reveals new missile and underground ‘city’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards inaugurated a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 1,000 km (621 miles), the semi-official Fars news agency reported…ignoring demands Western demands that Tehran halt its missile program. Fars published pictures of an underground missile factory called “underground city,” saying the “Dezful” missile was a version of the Zolfaghar missile that has a 700 km range and a 450 kg (992 lb) warhead.

France recalls ambassador to Italy as diplomatic row deepens
A diplomatic row between France and Italy has deepened, with France complaining of “unfounded attacks and outlandish claims” by Italian leaders. France recalled its ambassador to Italy for talks on Thursday, saying the situation was “unprecedented” since the end of World War Two. It comes after Italian Deputy PM Luigi Di Maio met French “yellow-vest” protesters near Paris on Tuesday.

Israel envoy to UN calls Hebron observer force ‘violent, biased’
Israel’s UN ambassador on Thursday accused international observers in Hebron of acting as “a violent, biased” force and defended the government’s suspension of their mandate—and US support for Israel’s action. Danny Danon said that instead of maintaining order and neutrality, the observers “used violence, created friction with the civilian population, and interfered with security forces.”

U.S. military aims to withdraw from Syria by April: WSJ
The U.S. military is preparing to withdraw American forces from Syria by the end of April and a significant portion of them will be out by the middle of March, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing current and former U.S. officials. A U.S. official confirmed the April target to Reuters, saying the withdrawal included a pull-out from the U.S. military base at Tanf, near the Syrian border with Iraq and Jordan.

Extraterrestrial Mineral Harder than Diamonds Discovered in IsraelA new discovery in the mountains of northern Israel has caused significant excitement for geologists around the world. While working in the Zevulun Valley, close to Mount Carmel, Israeli mining company Shefa Yamim found a new mineral never before discovered on earth.

Infanticidal Democrats Took Their Cues from Barack Obama
When it comes to the most significant moral issues of our time, no one should be surprised by immoral actions of modern liberals. You can be saddened, shocked, angry, disgusted, and the like, but you should not be surprised. This is certainly true when it comes to the issue of even infanticide.

The alarming dimensions of the opioid crisisThere is no question that the opioid crisis is one of the greatest killers in American history. Responsible for more than 47,600 overdoses in 2017 alone, these drugs were the leading cause of death from unintentional injuries for Americans that year, ahead of such common occurrences as car crashes and falls.